GREEN Belt sites in Wirral could be at risk from new planning powers being issued by the government, a councillor has warned.

The North West Regional Assembly is to be strengthened according to proposals by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and Moreton councillor Simon Mountney says he fears this will undermine the protection of Green Belt areas in the borough.

A study is currently being carried out by all Merseyside councils to examine if any changes need to be made to greenfield sites for development.

He said that under the Government's new proposals, councils will be forced to release more land to developers depending on the level of house prices, rather than due to long-term demographic needs.

Cllr Mountney, a Conservative, said that although the Government said it will now review Green Belt development applications in more detail, Green Belt designation is being slowly erased by new regional plans being adopted by the regional assemblies.

He said: "I am very concerned that these new planning rules will mean more greenfield development and an increase in urban sprawl. John Prescott claims he wants to approve each Green Belt planning application.

"Yet under his watch, Green Belt protection has become worthless, being erased on a whim by unelected regional bureaucrats and being sidelined by weaker planning rules.

"I believe we need more Green Belts around our towns and villages to prevent over-development. Yet the Labour government is moving in the opposite direction.

"Our green spaces now face the threat of a sustained assault from John Prescott's army of bulldozers and concrete mixers."

But a spokesman for the North West Regional Assembly said across the region the latest figures show an increase in greenfield space, from 63% in 2001 to 71% in 2002-3, the latest year for which figures are available. He said this marked increase showed the Assembly's commitment to protecting green spaces.

He said: "In 2003 the government set us, the Regional Assembly, the aim of maintaining or increasing the amount of land set aside for Green Belt."

However, he said the Assembly was awaiting a report on how much Green Belt is needed in the Merseyside area.

He said: "On Merseyside there is a study being carried out by all the Merseyside local authorities on green belt areas. The aim is to determine if there is any need to change the extent and location of Green Belt for long term development requirements.